The “International Commission of European Citizens” (ICEC) has been created to gather all those organisations, institutions and individuals who share the vision of a Europe which is democratic both in theory and reality.

About us

The “International Commission of European Citizens” (ICEC – refinansiering) has been created to gather all those organisations bayla.pl, institutions and individuals who share the vision of a Europe which is democratic both in theory and reality.

Social movements from Scotland, Catalonia, Flanders and Euskal Herria together with social representatives from other European nations and member states will use the ICEC – klasykshop.pl as a focal point; forum and meeting place where academic and political theories can be discussed and disseminated, regarding Europe democracy and Universal Human Rights.

ICEC represent a coordinated citizen’s alliance on a European level to express the will of millions of Europeans to defend the fundamental principles as Freedom, Justice, Equality and Peace within Europe.

The Commission is composed of members of social organizations, political parties and academic networks like tartakbiele.pl on an individual basis, although organizations can expressly give their support as such. ICEC’s membership is not limited to any field because of its ‘down to earth’, grassroots approach, making it expressly open to the general public regardless of their involvement within any organization.

A better democracy is possible and it is needed, it is up to all European Citizens to speak with a clear and organized voice on these matters alongside our shared European Institutions.

Together we will make it possible! Because WE ARE EUROPE.

Petition

Following the European Commission requirements to present a European Citizens Initiative, the ‘International Commission of European Citizens’ (ICEC) did submit the following petition:

Title:Enforcing selfdetermination Human Right in Europe

Subject-matter:Proposal for an EU accommodation of selfdetermination human right.

Main objectives:To accommodate within the EU’s legal framework the selfdetermination human right according to: the Charter of the United Nations, the Covenants on Civil and Political Rights and on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of December 1966, the Final Act of the Conference for Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki 1975), and the ICJ- advisory opinion on Kosovo 22nd juliol 2010.Provisions of the Treaties considered relevant by the organisers:European Union TreatyTEU : articles 1, 2, 3.1, 3.5, 3.6, 11.1, 21, 48.2

Art. 1: EU Treaty marks a new stage in the process of creating an ever closer union among the peoples of Europe, in which decisions are taken as openly as possible and as closely as possible to the citizen.

Art. 2: The Union is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. These values are common to all member states.

Art. 3.1: The Union’s aim is to promote peace, its values and the well-being of its peoples.

Art. 3.5: The Union shall contribute to the strict observance and the development of international law, including respect for the principles of the United Nations Charter.

Art. 3.6: The Union shall pursue its objectives by appropriate means commensurate with the competences which are conferred upon it in the Treaties.Art. 11.1. The institutions shall, by appropriate means, give citizens and representative associations the opportunity to make known and publicly exchange their views in all areas of Union action.

Art. 21. The Union’s action on the international scene shall be guided by the principles which have inspired its own creation, development and enlargement, and which it seeks to advance in the wider world: democracy, the rule of law, the universality and indivisibility of human rights and fundamental freedoms, respect for human dignity, the principles of equality and solidarity, and respect for the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law.

Art. 48.2. The Commission may submit to the Council proposals for the amendment of the Treaties.

The ‘International Commission of European Citizens’ (ICEC) petition to the EC

Scottish, Catalan, Flemish and Basque Social movements have presented and submitted a formal joined petition to the European Commission to enforce the right to Self-Determination!

Members from the ‘International Commission of European Citizens’ (ICEC) Paul Van Cappellen, Txente Rekondo, Anna Arqué, Brice Lafontaine, Joanne Scobie and Mr. Philippe Haeyaert (President of The Flemish Peace movement) have presented an European Citizen’s Initiative to the European Commission in Brussels demanding to enshrine within the EU’s legal framework the Universal Right of Self-Determination.

Seven EU member States have been represented when submitting the formal petition including France, Austria and Italy together with Belgium, Spain, the UK and Ireland. The ICEC has the support from many German and American citizens aiming as well to give a solution to this ongoing yet unresolved conflict existing still today in our contemporary Europe.

The ‘International Commission of European Citizens’ (ICEC) is a grassroots platform open to all those European Citizens who defend Democracy and the right of Self-Determination as both EU’s foundational Human Rights principles.

The ICEC’s petition aims to accommodate within the EU’s legal framework the right to Self-Determination according to: the Charter of the United Nations, the Covenants on Civil and Political Rights and on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of December 1966, the Final Act of the Conference for Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki 1975), and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) advisory opinion on Kosovo 22nd July 2010.

With this initiative the ICEC asks the EU to create the necessary mechanisms to take forward within a legal European framework the Right of Self Determination in those nations with a social and/or political majority in favour of a call for a Referendum.

The European Commission will have up to the beginning of February to respond from that moment the ICEC will have 1 year to collect 1 million signatures.

This ICEC petition to the European Commission is not an end in itself but one more tool to take forward the process initiated by its International network: EPI www.epicentres.info The common objective is to normalise the concept of Self-Determination among all European Citizens and to do so with a coordinated international agenda which has been supplemented with scheduled events until the end of 2014.

Steven Vergauwen EPI spokesperson for Flanders added:‘As citizens at the heart of the European Union we have since its inception played a fundamental role in shaping its future direction and with this initiative we will continue to do so.’

Anna Arque EPI spokesperson for Catalunya said:‘The right to self-determination is a fundamental one and as members of the European family, one which must be accorded to all citizens of the EU regardless of members states reluctance to acknowledge this right’

Chris White EPI spokesperson in Scotland commented that:‘Whilst the EU has achieved much, many now believe that it has reached a crossroads where the ‘democratic deficit’ within its institutions is threatening any continued success. It’s time the institutions of Europe sat up and listened to its people before it is too late’

ICEC at the ‘Flemish House’

The ‘International Commission of European Citizens’ was presented at the Flemish House of Brussels to press and members of diferent flemish organisations.

Txente Rekondo from Nazioen Mundua, Anna Arqué, Catalan spokesperson for the ‘European Partnership for Independence’ (EPI), Paul Van Cappellen, Flemish spokesperson for EPI and Brice Lafontaine from North Catalonia and as representative of the French State, described the Citizens Initiative presented formally by the ‘International Commission of European Citizens’ (ICEC) to the European Commission.

Thank you to the VVB for organising such a nice gathering!

Contact us

For more information please email us to:icec@europeancitizensdecide.eu